How to Focus Our Attention and Energy for Results

The results we get are a direct outcome of our focus, e.g. our attention and energy, and there are three realities which can influence our ability to focus effectively:

We can only focus on one thing at a time

We get more of what we focus on

Avoidance doesn’t work

Reality #1 – You can only focus on one thing at a time. Really.

Hold up your thumb, look at it and then notice – what happened to everything around you? Did it recede and grow blurry? This happens in all areas of our lives. When we’re focused on one thing, everything else recedes. Trying to juggle multiple things at the same time impacts results because we can only focus, really, on one thing at a time.

Aspect #2 – You get more of what you focus on. It’s true.

Look around the room and count the blue things – how many do you see? How about red? Purple? In most cases you’ll only know the number of blue things because that’s what you focused on. To create a different or better result, shift your focus.

Aspect #3 – Avoidance doesn’t work. At all.

Right now, don’t think about purple elephants; avoid thinking about them. I can pretty much guarantee you’re now thinking about purple elephants!! The more energy we put into avoiding something, the greater the likelihood we’ll get more of it. So instead, direct your attention to what you do want and then leverage points #1 and #2 above.

So where’s your focus? Which areas of your life have receded into the background? What’s abundant in your life, what’s missing and how might you change that? And finally, what are you “trying” to avoid and how can you instead shift your focus to something you DO want?